Life raft



Jan. 7, 1947.

F. G. MANSON ET AL LIFE RAFT Filed June 7, 1945 nfs/fr Aira/mfr PatentedJan. 7, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LIFE RAFT" y Frank` G. Mansonand JamesJ. Maskey, Dayton, Ohio Application' June '7,y 1943, Serial No.439,961

v Claims.

This invention relates to life rafts and in particular to a novel methodof inflating a life raft and to a novel light-Weight means for inilatingthe .dotation tubes of a raft.

The novel lift raft is made up of a plurality 0f separate flotationtubes and a bottom of flexible material. The ilotation tubes have loopsfastened thereto so that they may bev laced together :by tie cords orlacings and may be fastened in a similar manner to the bottom, whichalso has grommets or loops through which the tie cords or lacings maypass. This form of construction, by which the various components of thelraft may be integrated, `enables the rafts to` beassembled or to bedisassembled quickly for repair or replacement of parts. y l

Instead of inilating the ilotation tubes by means of a cylinder ofcompressed carbon dioxide or other` gas, as has been done in the past,applicants provide a novel method utilizing means carried within thetubes for generating the gas required to inflate the tubes. Each' of theflotation tubes contains a chemical substance which is normallyquiescent but which may be rendered active to generate the gas necessaryto inflate the tube. By utilizing this form of inilating means,applicants are able to eliminate the need for heavy inflation equipment,including the heavy steel cylinder usually required for the compressedcarbon dioxide or other gas used to inflate the tubes, and are able toVprovide more uniform inflation within the tubes.

It is an object of the invention therefore, to provide a novel life raftwhich contains lightweight means for mila-ting the flotation tubes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel life raft havinginilation means by which uniform inilation of the flotation tubes may beobtained.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel method ofinflating flotation tubes used in life rafts.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel notation tubefor life rafts, which tube contains light-Weight inflation means byWhich it may be inflated quickly.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel flotation tubewhich contains throughout length a chemical substance capable ofgeneratinfr gas necessary to inflate the tube.

With these and incidental objects in View, the invention includescertain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, theessential elements of which are set forth in appended claims and apreferred form or embodiment of which is hereinafter described withreference to the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of thisspecification.

In said drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the novel life raft.

Fig. 2 is a section taken along the line 2-2 in Fig. 1 in the directionof the arrows.

In the preferred form or embodiment of applicants novel life raft asshown in Figs. 1 and 2, the raft includes a plurality of separatechambers or flotation tubes II and I2, which may be made of rubberizedfabric or of cloth-covered rubber tubes. These tubes are normallynon-inflated but can be inflated individually, by means hereinafter tobe described, to provide flotation tubes for the raft.` Also includedvas an essential part of the raft is a bottom I3 of rubberized fabric orother waterproof material, upon which the occupants of the raft may beAsupported.

Each of the llotation tubes making up the raft is provided with aplurality of loops, as I4, and the bottom I3 is provided with a seriesof grommets, as I5, about its edge. The loops,fas I4, and the grommets,as I5, enable the flotation tubes l I and I2 to be fastened together andto the bottom I3 .by means of the tie cords or lacing, as I6. Thismethod of integrating the component parts of the raft allows the rait tobe assembled quickly or to be disassembled quickly to replace or repairany part.

As shown in Fig. 2, the bottom I3 is fastened to the tubes II and IZ insuch a manner that the bottom is above the Water line I'I of the raftwhen in use. Any Water that will be shipped when the raft is in use canreadily be drained from the bottom I3 through the space between thebottom I3 and the tubes II and I2.

While the raft disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2 is made from but twoflota-tion tubes, it is Within the scope of the invention to join anydesired number of separately inflatable llotation tubes together byloops and tie cords to form a life raft.

The flotation tubes II and I2 utilize a novel method and a novellight-Weight means to cause their inflation. Within each flotation tubeis a carrier medium I 8, which is shown herein as a flexible sheetextending substantially throughout the length of the tube and carrying achemical substance for generating the gas necessary to inflate the tube.As one example of a carrier medium and a chemical substance which mightbe used, the carrier medium I8 may be made of ilexible cotton materialand be impregnated with an adhesive paste which serves to secure afast-burning powder such as gunpowder to the carrier medium. This powdercan be ignited and, upon being ignited, will burn freely along thelength of the carrier medium I8 to generate gas throughout the length ofthe tube and thus provide uniform distribution of ination in the tube.It is to be understood that the examples given above for the materialsof the carrier medium and the chemical substance are merely illustrativeand are not to be considered as thelonly materials which may be used topractice the invention.

The fast-burning powder on the carrier medium I8 can be ignited by anysuitable igniting means I9, such as an ordinary pyrotechnic squib orpercussion cap, to which the carrier medium is attached, and, when onceignited, will burn freely throughout the length of the carrier medium.The igniting means I9 may be discharged or operated by any convenientmechanism 28, such as an electrical dry cell battery or mechanicaldetonating cap.

Each flotation tube has therein an opening which is provided with anair-tight closure 2l, which opening enables the carrier medium and thechemical substance to be inserted into and removed from within the tube.

A valve 22 is provided for each notation tube to enable a hand pump orother suitable device to be used to add additional inflation to theflotation tubes to compensate for leakage or other loss of gas fromwithin the tube.

While free-burning powder was the chemical substance used to illustratethe invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limitedto the use of this substance, as it is within the purview of theinvention to use any suitable gas-generating chemical substance which isnormally quiescent but which can be rendered active to generate gasrequired to inflate the tube.

The novel inflating means is shown used in a raft which is made up of aplurality of separate flotation tubes; however, its use is not limitedto this type of raft. The inflation means may also be used to inflatethe conventional type of life raft, in which a single flotation tubeencompasses a bottom upon which the occupants may be supported.

When the feature of uniformity of inflation is not of particularimportance, the carrier medium may be dispensed with and suflicientchemical substance may be located at a convenient place within the tubeand may be rendered effective to generate gas to fill the entire tube.

Applicants, therefore, have provided a flexible life raft which isconstructed with light-weight inflating means, and have provided a novelmethod of inflating the tubes, which method enables the light-weightinflating means to be used,

While the form of the novel life raft and inflating means herein shownand described is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarilystated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine theinvention to the one form or embodiment herein disclosed, for it issusceptible of embodiment in various forms, all coming within the scopeof the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination of a flotation tube; a flexible carrier membercarried within the tube and extending throughout the longest dimensionthereof and having uniformly distributed thereon a charge .of normallyinactive gas-generating substance; and means to render thegas-generating substance active to generate gas equally throughout thelength of the tube to inflate said tube uniformly.

2. The combination of a collapsible flotation tube; light-weightinflating means for said tube, said inflating means consisting of acarrier member located within the tube and extending throughout itslength and carrying a normally inactive gas-generating chemicalsubstance; and means to render the substance active to generate gas andinflate the tube, said carrier member and chemical substance enablinggas to be gen erated throughout the length of the tube to produceuniform inflation of the tube.

3. The combination of a collapsible flotation tube for a life raft; alight-weight carrier member having a charge of fast-burning powderuniformly distributed along its length, said carrier member extendingwithin the tube where the powder can burn freely; igniting meansextending within the tube to ignite the powder, which powder when itburns will generate gas uniformly to inflate the tube evenly; and meansto operate the igniting means.

4. The combination of a collapsible flotation tube for a life raft; acarrier member within said tube and extending throughout the length ofthe tube; a fast-burning powder train carried by the member; ignitingmeans extending within the tube -to a point adjacent one end of saidpowder train so that the igniting means when operated can ignite thepowder train and initiate the free burning of the powder to generate gasto inflate the tube; and means to operate the igniting means.

5. The method of inatlng a tube, which consists in uniformly and xedlydistributing a gas generating substance within the tube throughout thelength thereof and activating said substance all along its length togenerate gas uniformly throughout the length of the tube.

FRANK G. MANSON. JAMES J. MASKEY.

